A Cranbourne high-school teacher and mother-of-two who had a sexual affair with a 15-year-old student has been jailed.
Laura Ann Hill, 38, pleaded guilty at the Victorian County Court to five counts of sexually penetrating a child under 16, as well as sexual assault and persistently breaching an intervention order.
She and the student were said to have developed a close friendship, which furnished four occasions of sexual offending in a month.
In October 2024, Hill and the teenager took the day off school and met in the girl’s garage where they smoked cannabis.
They moved into the bedroom, with an undressed Hill hiding in a closet when the child’s grandmother arrived home.
On a later night, Hill drove the girl to Hill’s home. Despite Hill saying “this isn’t a good idea”, they proceeded to have sex.
Soon after, Hill revealed the relationship to her school’s assistant principal.
The girl was interviewed by police, while Hill was issued a family violence interim intervention order banning any contact or communication with the child.
However while on bail – and in breach of the intervention order – Hill again met with the child in November and they had sex in a playground in Hastings.
After this incident, the teen’s mum directed the girl to stay at her grandparent’s house. Nonetheless, the pair later had sex in the teen’s bedroom.
In breach of the intervention order, Hill also called and left numerous voicemails and texts to the teen’s phone.
After the teen’s mum provided her daughter’s phones to police, Hill was arrested, interviewed and has been since remanded in custody.
In sentencing, judge Claire Quin noted the significant upheaval for the teen and family.
On 15 August, the teen read a victim impact statement to the court saying that “legally I am the victim so why do I feel punished?”
She said she was struggling to see Hill as the “criminal that (Hill) is”, and had lost an “understanding” teacher that made her look forward to school.
As a result of the offences, she and the family had left the school, and they had moved a long distance away.
The teen’s parents were angered by the breach of trust, her mother felt guilty for not being able to protect her, Judge Quin noted.
Hill had endured a difficult, disrupted childhood, with separation and a lack of care and “emotional validation” from her parents.
At the time of offending, her judgement was clouded by borderline personality disorder with avoidant features.
It was said to be a factor in her getting over-involved with her students and her relationship difficulties.
Judge Quin also noted the severe impact of public opprobrium and incarceration on Hill, who was currently restricted from any video calls or visits from her two young children.
Her early guilty plea, remorse, insight, her disclosure of the relationship to the school and her lack of criminal priors were also noted.
Hill’s rehabilitation prospects were “good” if she continues to engage with sex offender treatment, Judge Quin said.
But the offending was serious, aggravated by Hill’s position of trust, the age disparity, and breach of bail and intervention orders.
Weighing up the factors, Judge Quin opted to impose a sentence less than the standard six years for sexual penetration of a child under 16.
Hill was jailed for five years and two months, with a non-parole period of 28 months.
Her term includes 259 days of pre-sentence remand.
Hill will report as a registered sexual offender for life.
